In the muggy heat of the summer of 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the now famous “I Have a Dream” speech. He spoke of his dream for a future where children of all races could walk together and “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. This speech, this man, and this movement are all iconic pieces of American History.
It is within this context that it becomes even more interesting to note that it was in the year preceeding that, 1962, that the first full-color children’s book featuring a Black child as the main character was released.
The Snowy Day
The book isn’t a message book per se. It isn’t a book about what it means to be Black. It’s simply about what it means to be a child on a snowy day. That’s what makes it so poignant amid the backdrop of the Civil Rights Movement. To me, that communicates more clearly than any overt message book could, the equality of man. Nothing illustrates life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness like a child wrapped in his favorite snowsuit, exploring the wonder of snow.
It’s been 50 years since that groundbreaking release, and while Ezra Jack Keats produced several other wonderful books featuring Peter, just being Peter, it seems that we could still use more diverse characters in children’s picture books. Not just in books on the topic of diversity, but in books about the simple, common experiences of childhood.
As I’ve mentioned before, I want my own boys to see characters in books that remind them of themselves, with big blue eyes and even bigger personalities. But I also want them to read books where they can look into the green, black, and brown eyes that remind them of their friends. All children deserve to be able to see themselves in a good book, and to see the rest of the world there as well.
When I try to think of a contemporary book with qualities similar to The Snowy Day, I think first of Please, Puppy, Please
So what are some of your favorite children’s books that show the diversity of children simply being children? I’d love to add to our library!
Check out this interesting article about the anniversary of The Snowy Day from the Washington Post, with a hat tip to my friend Zina of Lasso the Moon for sharing it on Facebook.
And if you want to add to your library as well, take a look at these storytime books featuring Black characters
“Snowy Day” is one of my favorite books. (And even before I had personally experienced a snowy day.)
We love Ezra Jack Keats. My kids especially like Hi cat. Please puppy please is also a very cute story.
One of our favorites that touches on diversity, even though it is more about finding the right “person” for the job (vs. man or woman) is Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio. There is also Queen of the Scene by Queen Latifah.
A couple off the top of my head: “Corduroy,” “A Beach Tail,” “I Had a Favorite Dress,” “How Do You Wokka Wokka,” “Wow! It Sure is Good to Be You!” “Summer Jackson, Grown-Up,” and “One Love.” I’ll be interested in what you pull together, be sure to let me know.
Here are a few I’d recommend:
Soup Day by Melissa Iwai – a nice winter story with an Asian main character
Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin – maybe too long for your preschool classroom, but this easy reader is about two Asian American girls just being sisters!
The Rain Stomper by Addie Boswell – a story about an African-American girl playing in the rain
The Neighborhood Mother Goose by Nina Crews – a Mother Goose collection illustrated by photos showing kids of lots of different races
The Hello Goodbye Window by Norton Juster – a story about a biracial girl visiting her grandparents (one black, one white)
Subway by Anastasia Suen – An African-American girl and her mom take a subway ride together
Mama and Me by Arthur Dorros – A Latino mother and daughter spend a day together
I am loving these lists! Please keep them coming!
The Hello Goodbye Window is one of my favorites! I also like I Like Myself by Karen Beaumont.
A couple of my favorites are Honey, I Love (out of print, but still available), the book of poems, not the single poem as a book. Also, Tar Beach, White Socks Only, Amazing Grace, the Patchwork Quilt, Feast for 10 is a fun early counting book. We love The Snowy Day too.
A Chair For My Mother by Vera B William is an old favorite of mine.
Abuela by Arthur Dorros is one I read aloud to my class with some changes.